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Johann Nepomuk Hummel

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Johann Nepomuk Hummel was an Austrian composer and pianist, born in Pressburg, present-day Bratislava, in 1778. His father was a violinist and music teacher. He was a child prodigy. When he was eight, Mozart offered him lessons, and he lived in Mozart's house for two years, free of charge. At nine he played for the first time at a Mozart concert. He then toured Europe with his father. In London he was taught by Muzio Clementi and played with great success. In 1791, at the age of thirteen, he gave the premiere of a Haydn piano trio.

Music and breakthrough

In Vienna he studied with Johann Georg Albrechtsberger, Joseph Haydn and Antonio Salieri. There he became friends with the young Ludwig van Beethoven, who studied with the same teachers. He often visited Beethoven later and played at his memorial concert. In 1813 he married the opera singer Elisabeth Röckel, with whom he toured Russia and the rest of Europe the following year.

Influence

His music stands at the transition from the Classical to the Romantic period. He wrote piano concertos, trios and quintets, and concertos for trumpet, bassoon and oboe, among other works. His trumpet concerto in particular is frequently recorded. He had a great influence on later pianists. Hummel died in 1837. His work shows how the elegance of Mozart and Haydn passed into the virtuosity of the nineteenth century.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Hummel's trumpet concerto and notice how the soloist begins with a short, fanfare-like theme that is then developed ever more ornately.

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists